Improvement in rotary puddling-furnaces



W. SWINDELL. Rotary Puddling-Purnaoe.

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Patented Sept, 16, 1879.

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE i WILLLAM SWINDELL, OF ALLEGHENY,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEM'ENT IN RQTARY PUDDLING-FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letter s Patent No. %19,604, datedSeptember 16, 1879; application filed July 14, 1879.

To all whom it may concm:

y Be it knownthat LWILLIAM SWINDELL, of Allegheny, in the oounty ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Rotary Puddling- Furnaces and Regenerators Therefor; andI do hereby declare'the following to be a full, clear, andexactdescription thereof, reference a being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of devices enbodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detailhorizontal section on the line w w, showing the gas fiues or inlets anddischarge. Fig. 3 is a similar section on the line w a', showing thehot-air and waste-gas flues and -air-discharge. Fig. 4 is a like sectionon theline y y, showing the hot-air and waste-gas flues and thewaste-gas exit. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line z z, showingthe products of combustion and gas-flues. Fig. 6 is a similar section onthe line 'u` v, showing the hot-air flues leading to the rotary puddler.Fig. 7 is a view of the air, gas, and waste-gas fiues at their point ofdelivery within the rotary puddler, the latter having been removed.

` Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of rotary puddling -furnacesand regenerators therefor; and consists, first, in a rotary puddler ofgeneral cylindricalform, with a working door at one end and a throat forthe entrance of the working flaine at the opposite end, said cylindermounted at an angle on inclined rollers, so that one aXial opening orthe throatthereof may be enlarged to an eX- tent equal to the nteriordiameter of the oylinder, if desired, whereby a full and free admissonof the working fiame and escape of theproducts of combustion areprovided for and, secondly, in combining with a rotary cylindricalpuddler set at an angle upon inclined rollers, so as to obtain anenlarged throat for the entrance of the working flane and escape of theproducts of combustion, a regeuerator havinga series of arched air andwaste-pro-` duct flues alternating with each other, and by their formgiving a curved projection to the flame to cause the same to impingeupon the hearth and the waste from the rotary puddler.

Heretofore the general construction of rop tar-y puddlers has been suchthat the diameter of the barrel necessarily greatly eXceeded thediameterof the axial opening or throat in or- `der to obtain a hearth ofsufficient depth to contain a fair-size'd charge or to work withadvantage, as the barrel was rotated on a hori zontal axis.

To overcome this objcction the form of the rotary puddler has in someinstances' 'been converted from a barrel shape to-that of a flat- `isalways an objectionable feature in large metallurgic Operations, wherethe devices are subject to both high heat and great weights or strains.y

i In those instances where the fiame or its equivalent enters at oneend, while the products of combustion escape at the other, the smallsize of the throat is not so material; but in that class wherein theflame enters and the products of combustion leave the rotary hearth onthe same side, as in the cases' where regenerators are used, or whereverthe flame is not to strike the metal direct, but to curl or sweep overit, the size of the throat or. axial opening of the puddler is verymaterial;

The object of the present inventioju 'isto simplify the Construction, orrather to retain the well-known and simple method of mount A' ing therotary puddler, and at the same time materially increase the axialopening or throat thereof without diminishing the capacity of the hearthor increasing materially the diameter of the barrel.

I will now proceed to describe my invention, so that others skilled inthe art to which it appertains may apply the same.

A indicates the rotary puddler, which in its general construction may beof any approved construction or of the usual pattern that is to say, ofcyliudrical form, lined ou the inte products to escape I rior with asuitable fix, and having upon its eX- terior rigs or hoops h, which'retain it in position on rollers b, and cog-rin g h gearing with aaog-wheel, h on a power-shaft, h by means of which the cylinder A isrotated. Instead, however, of placing the cylinder A in a horizontalposition, it is inclined somewhat, as shown, and the rollers b, uponwhich it rests and rotates, are correspondingly set in their fixed frameB.

G indicates a contracted opening in the aXis of the cylinder, throughwhich the charge may be inspected'and treated from time to time,

nation of the process. This opening is closed by a small door, d, whichmay slide between the end of the rotary puddler A and the upright b',ornay be secured in any other wellknown and convenient nanner. .u

The cylinder A being set at an angle, and the opening at G beingcomparatively small, gives a deep hearth for the metal under treatment,as indicated by the dotted line, Fig. 5;

and it will be observed that with every increase in the diameter of thecylinder a proportionate increase in the capacity of the hearth follows.

In the opposite or fine' end of the rotary pud- ,dler A is a largeopening, D, for the introduction of the flame and the escape of theproducts of conbustion, and as, in therotation of the cylinder A, thetendency of the metal is always to sink away from this end of thecylinder, said opening D may be, if desired, almost coextensive with theinternal diameter of the cylinder, thus affording a free andunobstructed in gress for the flame and egress for the products ofcombustion.

In connection with a rotary puddler, preferably such as specified, Iemploy gaseous fuel and a regenerator having the following construction:E indicates `the regenerator, which is built with a series of flues, g ac-those indicated by the letter g being for the admission of gas, andconsisting of two or more short flues located near the forward part ofthe regenerator E, which converge and unite near the gas-dischargeorifice g', which is preferably narrow and long, so as to spread out thegas and deliver it in a sheet below the air-discharge orifice. a aindicate the air-flues, and

u c c the flues for the escape of the products of combustion. Theseflues are arranged alternately, are of the same general forn, and occupyrelative positions in the regenerator.

The air-flues a communicate With the outer air by means of, and receivetheir air-supply through, a transverse port, a common to all of saidflues, and from this point the flues arch down and back to the rear ofthe regenerator, where they double and arch forward, formingreturn-flues that finally unite in a'comnon delivery-port, a which islong and narrow, so as to spread out the air into a sheet and deliver itinto the throat D of the puddler' at a point over the gas-inlet, so thatthe gas and air may intermingle thoroughly, to insure perfeetcombustion. The course of the air is indicated by full-line arrow.

The products of combustion escape'from the rotary puddler or cylinder onthe same side ,as the flame enters, and through a throat, c', i whichcommunicates with each of the several waste-gas flues c. These flues cfor the waste products, starting from the common port g' at the throatE, first arch or dip down and back, and then, doubling, arch forward andupward, finally uniting in a common flue, which de- 3 livers into thestack. and the puddle-ball withdrawn at the termi- Throughout theirentire course the air and gas flues are arranged side by side, and theincoming air and outgoing waste gases travel in the same direction, sothat the waste gas at its highest temperature and the air at its lowesttemperature impinge upon opposite sides of the same wall, which not onlyserves to uniformly heat the air, but to protect the walls of theregenerator. The dotted-line arrow indicates the course of the productsof combustion.

The above-described devices or their equivalents will operate as fllows:The air which enters the flues a from port a will travel downward andbackward through flues a and then upward and forward to the deliveryport a upon one side of the intervening walls, while the products ofcombustion, leaving the hearth by flues c' c, will travel in the samedirection on the opposite side of the said walls. The gas which, comingfrom the producer, has entered through flues g will spread out in theport g' and be delivered in a thin sheet below the sheet of air entering the cylinder from a and the two intermingling will inflame, and,sweeping down over the metal contained in the lowest part of thecylinder, the products of combustion will enter port c', and, havingtraversedfiues c, will escape through the stack.

The advantages of my ivention are, first, that the simplicity ot' theConstruction of the rotary puddler is retained, and at the same tine theaXial opening or throat is increased without necessarily increasing thediameter of the cylinder; seoondly, a deep hearth is obtained, therebyincreasing the capacity of the rotary puddler; thirdly, the top of therotary cylinder, being inclined, will act as a deflector for the gas,air, and flame; fourthly, a regenerator can be employed to advantagewith a rotary puddler; and, fifthly, the waste heat of the products ofcombustion can be ntilized to the greatest advantage.

Having thus set forth the nature, operation, and advantages of myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l: A rotary puddler of general cylindrical form, provided at one endwith a working door and having at the other an enlarged axial opening orthroat for the admission of the working flame and the escape of th'eproducts of combustion, said puddler set at an angle upon its rollers,whereby an enlarged axial opening or throat is obtained Withoutdeereasheating With the throat or enlarged axial opening the Capacity ofthe hearth, substantizlly ing of the rotary puddler, substantially asand as specified. v for the purpose specified.

2. The eonbinaton, With a rotary puddler In testimony whereof I, thesaid WILLIAM mounted at an angle upon inelined rollers and SWINDELL,have hereunto set my hand. having a, working door at one end and anenlarged axial opening or threat at the other, of i WILLIAM SWINDELL' aregenerator having a seriesof arched air and Witnesses: raste-productflues arranged side by side and J No. K. SMITH, alternatin g one withthe other, seid flues eon- A. O. J OHNSTON.

